Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
ANATIDAE Members:
General Comments
The Canvasback has experienced continental population declines for several decades. It was formerly a locally common to very common winter resident to bays/sounds and coastal and Tidewater impoundments in the state; our highest counts were in the 1970's. The species is still locally numerous, but flocks number mostly in the tens to rarely the hundreds now. The species is found in wide open waters of shallow bays as well as the larger lakes and impoundments. There was an unprecedented midwinter movement of the species to Mountain and Piedmont lakes owing to severe weather in early 2026.
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
The species' status on the List of Bird Species of North Carolina: either Definitive, Provisional, or Extinct, as administered by the NC Bird Records Committee. The Provisional List contains species for which there are less than three accepted sight (i.e., non-documented) records. Species of unaccepted origin are not included on the List of Bird Species of North Carolina.
Definitive
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Definitive
State Rank
S3N
Global Rank
G5
Coastal Plain
Winter resident; declining. Uncommon to locally fairly common, mainly along the northern coast and Tidewater area, south to the lower Neuse River; rare to locally uncommon along the southern coast. Generally rare farther inland (now) in winter and migration. An excellent inland count was 50 on Lake Waccamaw (Columbus) on 30 Nov 2025. Mainly late Oct to early Apr. Peak counts:
Piedmont
Winter visitor/resident; declining. Rare to briefly locally uncommon, most numerous along the northeastern edge of the province. Locally quite common in late Jan - Feb 2026 at many lakes. Mostly mid-Nov to late Mar. Peak counts: 1,300 to maybe 3,000, Roanoke Rapids Lake, 27 Dec 2008; 300, Lake Benson (Wake), 25 Nov 1966; 300, Brier Creek Reservoir (Wake), 15 Feb 2009.
Mountains
Very rare to rare winter visitor, with only about 28 records, nearly all from the southern mountains (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Transylvania). There was a notable influx of the species into the region in late Jan and Feb 2019, and another in late Jan and Feb 2026, including almost all of the peak counts. Dates range from 22 Oct to 2 Apr, but mainly just to late Feb. One at Osceola Lake (Henderson) from 22-26 Oct 2022 was the earliest in the province by about a month. The latest was one in Buncombe on 2 Apr 2026. Peak counts: 40, Lake Julian (Buncombe), 10 Feb 2025; 29, Lake Julian, 1 Feb 2026; 27, Ecusta Pond (Transylvania), 11 Feb 2026; 24, Ecusta Pond, 30 Jan 2019; 20, Enka Lake (Buncombe), 28 Jan 2026, 19, Lake Osceola (Henderson), 20 Feb 2019. Considering the many records for Redhead in the Mountains, the Canvasback is mysteriously scarce in the province.
Finding Tips
** to ***
This species can be somewhat difficult to find in most areas. Formerly, it could usually be seen from the causeway across Lake Mattamuskeet, but not often seen there in recent years. Somewhat reliable sites are Phelps Lake, the Swan Quarter ferry, North Pond at Pea Island, and Roanoke Rapids Lake (though public access is rather limited).